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First Post - Drowning
I have been reading for some time, and am very grateful for the thoughts and ideas I've been able to benefit from to date. I'm not sure why I was driven to post, and I'm not sure what I'm hoping for, but I am coming up empty on ideas. Apologies, this is a long story, and I'm a little too strung out to revise appropriately.…
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I'm new here - struggling with my mom's changes
Hello. I just found this today and I'm so excited! My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's about 2 years ago. At the time, you could tell something was off, but she was fine for the most part. Now 2 years later, her personality has completely changed and she is struggling with most of the day to day tasks. She is still at…
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What can I do when Dad refuses to be diagnosed?
Hi...I am new to Alzconnected. 7 years ago my husband and I moved my dad in with us. He was struggling with keeping up with his own home. My mom passed away of breast cancer in 2005 so he did well for a while after her death on his own. Once he was here we started to notice little things here and there. Over the last 3…
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Our Family is Not Sure What the Next Step Is
My mom was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimers in August 2020. She is currently 56 years old. It has been less than two years since her diagnosis, and the disease has progressed very rapidly. Suddenly within the last week she has been very lost and has begun having problems swallowing. She shakes and gags and is unable…
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Is it the meds (anti-siezure meds added), or another step in the progression?
I'll start with the short summary of my question: my mom has recently experienced a number of changes (for the worse). Is there any way of knowing if these are indicative of another step in her dementia progression? Or is it due to other factors, such changes to her meds, including the addition of anti-seizure drugs? Is…
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When to Start Hospice with ALZ
I am the DD of 93 y/o male with Alz diagnosed in 2018. The last 4 months he has deteriorated greatly. He doesn't want to eat, even sweets. He becomes constipated a lot because he doesn't drink enough and he doesn't want to walk. He has been sleeping more and more. Last Monday, his aide couldn't wake him up and and when he…
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In my early 30s, trying to support my parents
My dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease last spring. He is still in the early stages, but his MCI is getting in the way of daily functions and his ability to express himself easily. He and my mom are about to turn 70. His executive functioning is pretty limited these days so my mom has now taken on a lot of tasks for…
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Is the anger real
Everyone says don’t take to heart the anger and hate mum throws at me but it’s hard. Mum is in a care home, been there since mid covid, there was no other option, she was a greater fall risk, dementia increasing and couldn’t be left overnight. She had a fall, went to hospital, from there to rehab and from there to the…
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Bible Verse to Lift You Up 4/15/22
WASH FEET John 13:3-7 Amplified Bible "3...Jesus, knowing that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God, 4 got up from supper, took off His [outer] robe, and taking a [servant’s] towel, He tied it around His waist. "5 Then He poured water into the basin and…
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Feeling guilty and failing at my duty
As some of you know, I’ve been ‘down in the back’ for over 4 months now. Compressed fractures two months apart and then I sneezed the wrong way eight weeks after the second one. It’s been two weeks after that and I’m coming up for air the last couple days. Started physical therapy again this week. Other than phone calls,…
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Near the End of the Journey
Hello everyone, I'm new to this but here we go. I take care of my grandma who is in the late stages of alz. She was originally in rehab at a home that I was going to put her in but there was a fall actually multiple falls while she was there and one of those falls fractured her femur. It was supposed to be a simple which…
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Can things settle down?
I haven’t been on here in awhile. My mom does not have a formal diagnosis. She first showed behaviour and personality changes 2 years ago. Along with some hallucinations. She has been living with me for a year now, since I was diagnosed with breast cancer. We are still noticing some subtle changes, but for the most part…
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Looks like LO has had a decline
Hi all, it's been a while since I updated on our LO. I believe she has begun a significant decline over the last few weeks. Meal times are iffy. Some days she eats and drinks no problems but there are getting to be more days than not that she just stares at her plate and drink and doesn't touch it no matter how much we…
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ISO Daily Reminder gadget?
Hello, I’m looking for a product available in the USA that allows me to send visual reminders to my mom (who has Early Alzheimer’s and lives alone). Not only a clock, but also reminders about medications, doctors appointments, social events etc. Something she can prop up in her kitchen where she will see the daily…
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So Many Medical Conditions - It's Confusing
There is so much to consider medically it is exhausting for me to monitor. Mom is 90, 130 lbs, 5ft. 4ins with...Moderate Cerebral Atrophy/Moderate Cerebellar Atrophy, Aphasia, Nocturia, Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, Hypotension and Microvascular Ischemic Disease, Heart Disease.. The atrophy's and Microvascular Ischemic…
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Mom can't talk anymore
Hello, I haven't wrote much. I need to say that I am better now. My mother's illness has mentally hurt me plus COVID added more mental conditions. I am seeing a therapist and started working again, I haven't worked for 3 years. It's a start. My mom doesn't recognize me now close to a year and as the title says, cannot talk…
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Excessive Sleeping
Of course I am taking him to the doctor and consulting them about this. Still, I have found other people's experiences helpful on this dementia journey we are on. My dad recently fell, luckily he didn't hit the floor hard, I was able to slowly lower him to the ground. His legs became noodles and he couldn't hold himself up…
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Best bidet, hearing devices
Hi! Has anyone gotten a bidet to assist with cleanliness for their loved one with Alzheimer's? My Mom's psychiatrist recommended one because my Mom is refusing to shower and is at risk of skin breakdown. She has moderate Alzheimer's and is unable to keep up with ADL's on her own, but (thankfully) she still knows where she…
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Sleeping all the time(2)
My LO is sleeping all the time. Any advice. Don't know what to do, if anything. Person becomes agitated, very mild mannered person all his life, when asked to do to anything. It's heartbreaking and causes anger/frustration/sadness when in his family. Thanks
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New here- very worried about genetic link
Hello I am new to this forum, this topic and this new life with my mom. I only have a few minutes to write since I have young children so I will try and be brief! After years of wondering about my mom's cognitive decline she is finally being seen by Mayo. Her brain scan and spinal are next month. We have tried to talk to…
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A little bit of good news
A couple of months ago Peggy started having a lot of anxiety, so much so that she told me that she was afraid of everything and that she couldn't do anything. We started her on an anti-depressant, and it's made a world of difference. She's back to doing memory care activities, particularly karaoke (which she loves). This…
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Need Advice re: POA and a companion dog
Hi Everyone, My mom has mild Alzheimer's and is currently in AL (I moved her last year and then moved to be 10 min from her). Recently, she's been visiting independent senior living apartments and says she doesn't like her AL and wants to move. First, I feel like her dissatisfaction with the current AL is part of her…
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Constant Calling
(I am new to this site, however, I have done a few alz webinars.) My Mom has 24/7 care at home with 3 different caregivers during the weeks. She is always calling my sister that lives 20 miles away and many times it is non-stop calling until my sister picks up the phone. (I live 5 hours away.) Usually she really doesn't…
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Good resources for younger kids who have to help with caregiving in a home
https://aacy.org/
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SICK, DISTRESSED, CONFUSED
My DW has had AD now for 11 years. I have been able to care for her most of this time by myself. In the last 3 years i have arranged for friends of her to work/ play here with her so i could have a little freedom. Also two part time caregivers but they all leave at 5 and no Sunday help. She still insists on me to be here…
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My son’s speech at the funeral
We cared for my mil for almost 5 years. My almost 14 year old son spoke after the funeral Mass. He held up three pieces of paper. Each had all of our names on it. He said the first piece was our family. We are all together and “on the same page.” He took the second piece and folded it in half. He said this was us after his…
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Don't-Care-Caregivers
Phew, documentary filmmaking is running me ragged, but I gotta some time to write a couple of caregiver tales! Don't-Care-Caregivers: What are the options when you feel like you're out of options? https://www.stumpedtowndementia.com/post/don-t-care-caregiver What's the scoop, poop? I spill the dementia family caregiver…
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The Challenge of Delusions
Hi everyone. Just joined and have been, as I'm sure many of you are familiar with, under intense stress trying to care for my mom who is suffering from vascular dementia (first diagnosed when she got lost last May). She had slowly declined until two trauma events, an MRI in July that sent her into a severe panic attack…
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Short Term Memory
Hello I am having a hard time seeing my mom like this. I lived with her for a long time and we used to do a lot of things together. Now since she was diagnosed with early on dementia. Me and my brothers are tying to get her healthy again. She gets tired very easy and has a hard time doing things on her own. It wears her…
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Flummoxed - staff/resident crushes with a side question of sexual orientation thrown in
Well, this is tricky. My sister Peggy moved into memory care back in October, and has generally done well there. In spite of being about twenty years younger than the other residents, she's made friends, and seems to be well-liked by staff and residents (even with Alzheimer's she's pretty easy-going). Sooo, a few weeks ago…